Berry cleaner and stemmer



P. ERVIN.

BERIIYCLEANER AND STEMMER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I4, 192|.

Patented July 12, 1921.`

UNITED STATES PEENT OFFICE.

PRESTONKERVIN, OF EMPORIA, KANSAS,

BERRY CLEANER 4ANI) STEMMER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Piins'roN ERVIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Emporia, in the county of Lyon and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Berry Cleaners andStemmers, of which the following is a specilication, reference beinghadtoy the accompanying drawings. l

This invention relates to devices for stemf g ming berries, andparticularly to means for stemming gooseberries or like berries.

The general'object of my invention is to provide a very simple andeffective device for this purpose so constructed that the berry iscarried around a number of times in contact with an exterior wallwhereby to rub off and detach the stem of the gooseberry from the berryitself.

A furtherobject is ,to provide a device of this character which isadapted to receive and stem berries of various diameters.

And a further object is to provide means for separating the stems, dirt,trash, etc., from the berries.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure1 is a vertical sectional view of a gooseberry stemmer constructed inaccordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the berry carrier.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates two sections, each sectionbeing formed with confronting, semi-circular, longitudinal groovesll,which sections, when placed to- `gether, provide a circular, verticalpassageway extending the full length of the sections. These sections inordinary use are approximately 9 in length and the bore or passageway,when the sections are in contact with each other, is approximately 2 indiameter. The 4confronting faces of the pas-V Specification of LettersPatent. Patented July 12, 1921 Application inea March y14, 1921.

Serial N0. 451,998.

tends atleast to the lower ends of the sections, this rod 13 orsupporting strip being formed atspaced points with a pair of angularlybent, transversely extending clamps 14 bent at their ends so as toembrace the block s 10 and afford outwardly projecting terminal portions15. Opposite the support-V ing rod 13 .there is disposed a likesupporting rod 16which is provided with clamps 17 of the sameconstruction as the clamps `14 and confronting the same,` the angularly`bent terminal ends of thel clamps17 and 14 being connected'by bolts 18ywhich pass through perforations in the terminals of the clamps, thesebolts carryinga-` coiled compression springs 19 which bear against theterminal ends of the clamps, thus forcing said clamps yieldingly toward`each other and thus holding the sections infyielding relation to eachother. The clamps 14 and 17 are attached to the sections by screws, pinsor in any other suitable manner.

The upper ends of the strips 13 extend Vover the upper ends of thesections 10 and then extend yupwardl and outward in divergent relationto support a hopper 20, which atfits4 lower end discharges into theupper end of the passageway 11. This hopper 20 is preferably of clothbut any other suitable material may be used, and the hopper is supportedby means of the frame formed by the strips 13 and 16. The upper portionof the strip 16 above the blocks is supported by means of a brace 21 andcarries attached to it in any suitable manner the radially extendingbrace 22 which is disposed within the hopper andV forms a bearing for ahorizontal shaft 24 and a vertical shaft 25./ The shaft 24 carries uponits outer end the crank handle 26 and upon its inner end the beveledgear wheel 27 whichengages a beveled gear is formed to provide a pairofclamping jaws 30, one of the clamping jaws having a screw 31 whereby itmay be clamped against a table. The strips 13 and 16`also support belowthe loweriends `of the ,sections 10 an approximately circular chamber 31having Van in wardly entending, partially circular flange 32, anddisposed within this chamber 31 and extending radially across anddownwardof this chamber is a chute or trough 33; YThe f trough and indoing so cross an air passage 34,7 Mounted Vbelow the troughi33 is a'fan 35 whichpreferably isa suction fan; so as to draw air inwardlthrough the air passage 34 y and discharge itoutward. A screen 36extends downwardin `front of the fan 35 so as to prevent the stems,trash, etc, which is drawn by the fan from the berries frombeingdischarged into thefan itself. Thefan shaft 37 carries upon it a bandwheel 339,4. in

Vdiameter andithis band wheel isV driven by trated asextending inwardtangentially with reference to a circlewhose center is theaxis ofrotation of thel cylindrical 'memberf 40. These grooves, i assuming thatthere are three grooves, are rcspectivelyiS/l deep, 10/ l1G deep andy12/1-6 deep measured" on a dotted line fl/-a'inFiga 3. Thusfthesegrooves have diferent'rareas soas to receive different sized berries,andv where there are morethanthree grooves they may range from 8/16"deep lto 1 deep. Of course, it is obvious'thatthe depth of these grooves41, 42 and 43 maybe changed to accord with the size of the berries beingtreated. The inner faces of the grooves are lined with fine cloth,designated 44.

In the operation of this mechanism,l the berries are placed in theliopp`e1"'andv at'the same time thecrankl handle of theicranlr 26 isrotatedE tov cause a counter-'clockwiserotation of the member 40whichconstitutes aI berry which will draw a draftof air acrossthe top of theberries dropping' from the 'troughV which `will draw away from :theberries the bits of stem, leaves, trash, etc., whichl may be brought;downr with the berries.

I `donotwish tor be limited to-'the usefof av suction fan,` as a blowermight beused blowsV ingV a'y draft vofair acrossandV beneathzrt'he lowerend of`y the chute 33 which wouldlblowl the dirt, trash,` etc.,awayffromtheberries. 1i

, do not wishftoibe limited tothe particular constructionzof thetroughf33 as thismay'be made'inffsections.V As the'handle 26 ro# tated, theberries drop inte the upper ends of the spiral or helical grooves 41, 42and 43 andthe berries travel down these grooves and frictionofYtheberries with the outside wall .of-the passageway 12 or with thecloth which lines'this passageway causes the berries to rotate, .Thestems will come in contact `with the relatively 'sharp edges which dennethe grooves 41, 42 and 43 and as a consequence the stems will be brokenorrubbed off. The

travel `of the berries through `these helical passageways cause theberries to rotate upon each other and againstthe fine clothv which linesthe grooves and whichlines the passageway 12, and as aconsequenceftl'ieberries will be polished, trash and' dirt .will be removed therefrom,the stems will be detached, vand when discharged the berries willbefinlirstclass shapev forV use.-

VVhile I have'illustrated alrparticularform of my invention which hasbeen found to be thoroughly satisfactory in* Vactual practice and 'whichthoroughly cleans and stems the gooseberries without crushing themorinarring the fruit, l2 do not wish tofbe limited to this, as it is,obvious" that many' changes might be made in` the'details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts without departing from the-spiritof the invention.

Ifclainrz-l 1 v 1. il; stemming and cleaning mechanism for gooseberries' comprising a lbody. having a longitudinal passageway@rotatablefberry carrier disposed within the passageway' anvilapproximatelyfillingthe same and formed with a longitudinallyextending,` helical groove openin upon' the` ends ofY the rcarrier, Y

a hopper discharging onto one end-ofsaid carrier, and means for forcinga blast of air across the path of 'movement of? theberries after theyhave left'the carrier'whereby toscparate the berries from stems andtrash.

2. A fruit stemming and cleaningldevice of the f cha actor Vdescribedcomprising a'I body formed in two longitudinally extending' halflsections; means yieldinglyurgingf saidsections toward each other butpermitting the sections to move away'fromleach other, and arotatableberry carrierfdisposed within the passageway and approximatelyfilling.`- the same andformed' with a loi'igitudinally eX- tending,helicat groove-opening upon the ends of-the carrier," i

3. A fruitstemmingand2 cleaning' device of the character describedcomprising al body formed' with a-V longitudinally( extending', cir#cular passageway, a berry= carrier circular in crossl sectionfsandapproximately filling said passageway and rotatable therein,` the berrycarrier being'formed-'with a plurality of longitudinallyextendmgghellcal grooves lll) il O

berries are discharged from the lower end of the carrier, and means forcausing a blastcentral, vertically extending bore or passageway, thebody being formed in two half sections, means yieldingly urging saidsections toward each other but permitting the sections to move away fromeach other, a hopper discharging into the ripper end of said passagewayand a manually rotatable berry carrier disposed in said passageway andcircular in cross section and formed with a plurality of helical groovesextending from top to bottom of the carrier.

5. A stemmer and cleaner for berries comprising a vertically disposedbody having a central, vertically extending bore or passageway, the bodybeing formed in two half sections, means yieldingly urging said sectionstoward each other but permitting the sections to move away from eachother,

hopper discharging into the upper end of said passageway, and a manuallyrotatable berry carrier disposed in said passageway and circular incross section and formed with a plurality f helical grooves extendingfrom top to bottom of the carrier, said grooves having different depthsand the grooves extending tangentially with relation to a circleconcentric to the axial center of the carrier.

6. A berry cleaner and stemmer of the character described comprising abody having` a vertical, axial, circular passageway for its entirelength, the body being formed in two half sections, supporting membersattached to each of said sections and extending vertically upward,springs operatively engaging the sections and urging them toward eachother, a hopper supported by said supporting members and discharginginto the upper end of the carrier, a shaft upon which the carrieriscarried, manually opcrable driving means for the shaft, a troughsupported below the lower end of the carrier and onto which the carrierdischarges, a fan mounted upon one of said supporting members anddisposed below the trough, and means connected to the manually operabledriving means whereby the fan may be rotated at a relatively high speed.

7. A berry stemmer and cleaner comprising a body having a vertical,circular pas sageway from top to bottom, the body ben ing formed in twohalf sections, supporting members attached to the body and extendingvertically upward above the same and below the same, said supportingmembers having laterally extending clamps embracing the sections of thebody, rods loosely connecting said clamps,-springs carried by said rodsand bearing against the clamps and urging the same toward each other, acarrier circular in cross section and disposed within the passageway ofthe body, the carrier having a plurality of helical grooves extendingfrom top to bottom of the carrier, said grooves extending inwardtangential to a ycircle concentric to the axis of rotation of thecarrier, said grooves being of different. depths, ra hopper supported bysaid supporting `members and discharging upon the upper end of thecarrier, a verticallydisposed shaft supporting the carrier and extendingupward through the hopper, a horizontal shaft operatively engaging thevertical shaft yand having a crank handle, means carried by saidsupporting members for, supporting said horizontal and vertical shafts,a trough supported by the supporting members and y to which the lowerend of the carrier dis charges, a suction fan disposed beneath saidtrough and drawing air transversely across the lower end of the trough,band wheels mounted upon the first named horizontal shaft and upon thesuction fan shaft, and an endless element connecting said band wheels.'

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

PRESTON ERVIN. f

